


Linked Hearts, Inked Hearts

by sushibomb



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alcohol Mentions, Anniversary, Established Relationship, Haikyuu!! Rare Pair Exchange 2017, M/M, boys be cheesy, drunken nonsense, matching tattoos, reaffirming affections, super lovey-dovey oikuros is my jam baby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-13
Updated: 2017-03-13
Packaged: 2018-10-02 21:59:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10228394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sushibomb/pseuds/sushibomb
Summary: It is then that an idea pops into Tetsurou’s head.“Linked hearts.” He blurts out. Tooru turns in his arms to look at him, deadpanned. “Hearts? Really?”“No, no, listen,” Tetsurou continues, tapping at the spot on Tooru’s neck where he had been kissing at before. “For you, two hearts right here, ‘cause I always kiss you there, and for me,” He raises his hand and runs his finger down the side of his thumb, “Right here, along the side of my hand. ‘Cause you always kiss me there.”“One red, and one blue.” Tooru adds, starry-eyed, “Yeah, simple, but meaningful. I love it.”





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [avioletqueen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/avioletqueen/gifts).



> A/N: For the 2017 HQ Rarepair Exchange! Written for Jay @quadruples.tumblr.com, hope you enjoy!
> 
> Thanks to my beta for this fic, [J](http://archiveofourown.org/users/freakofnature/profile)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Haikyuu!!

The second Tooru sets eyes on the small shop, there is a gleam in his eye that makes Tetsurou freeze in his tracks. The fingers interlaced with his curl with a sort of childish giddiness, tightening until it hurts a little and Tetsurou is forced to acknowledge what’s got his boyfriend so damned excited.

“Babe,” Tetsurou nudges Tooru in the side, “My hand, you’re squeezing kinda hard.”

Tooru turns to him. “Let’s get tattoos, Tettsun.”

Tetsurou blinks. “Tattoos.”  

“Yeah.”

“Tooru, you know we just came here to the mall to buy underwear, right?”

“Oh my god, you actual old man.” Tooru pouts. “We’ve done that! But, look,” He drags Tetsurou over to the window of the shop and presses his nose to the glass, peering inside. Tetsurou tries to ignore the odd glances his boyfriend is getting from the patrons inside. “I’ve always wanted to get one,” Tooru continues, casting a sidelong glance at Tetsurou. “Aaaaand, since our one-year anniversary is coming up in a few days, I thought we could do something fun and spontaneous.”

Tetsurou grins impishly. “So, what, you wanna tattoo my name on your ass?”

The smile slides right off Tooru’s face. Tetsurou backs out of the way just as a fist like a missile comes in, nearly catching him in the side. “Kidding! I’m kidding!”  

“Tch, I bet you’d love to see your name tattooed on my butt.”

Tetsurou’s smile grows heady, lip snagged in his teeth as he presses close to Tooru, hugging him from behind. Tooru fidgets, elbows him in the gut, and then relaxes into the embrace with an eye-roll.

“Well, it is mine, isn’t it?” Tetsurou whispers, pressing a soft kiss at the junction of Tooru’s neck and shoulder, all the while rubbing his now sore stomach. “It’d look good with a hand print around it-”

“Can you control yourself for five minutes, Tettsun? Good lord.” Tooru gripes, though he’s blushing a little. He laces their fingers together again, raising their joined hands to his lips, and places a few tender kisses to the underside of Tetsurou’s wrist and by his thumb. “Wait till we get home, at least. Come on, we’re doing this.”

And with that, Tetsurou finds himself inside the tiny hole-in-the-wall shop, standing awkwardly at the reception desk behind Tooru as he flips through books of art, searching for inspiration.

“I want it to be something simple, but memorable.” Tooru says with a smile, eyes pouring over the portfolio, drinking in the colors and the details, excitement growing with each page. Tetsurou leans over to look as well, throwing in the occasional ‘ooh’ and ‘oh, look at that’ before letting out a genuine praise at a portrait of an extremely lifelike leopard tattoo.

“See anything you like?” The receptionist, a young girl with more piercings than probably years to her life and bright pink hair, asks with a smile, setting down the telephone.

“Um, it’s our one-year anniversary on Saturday, and we wanna get tattoos together.” Tooru says, smiling down at her like sunshine beaming down onto the city.

“Aww,” She chirps, standing and walking around the counter, “Congrats! So, what kind of tattoos are you looking for? Your names?”

“No,no,” Tetsurou jumps in, “Not names. I think that’s so tacky.”

Tooru makes a noise of agreement, closing the portfolio. “I was thinking more like a symbol or something. Something cute but simple, but...meaningful at the same time?”

The girl laughs. “No, I get it. And between you and me, most people who get name tattoos usually end up breaking up. It’s kind of a jinx, in my opinion.”

Tetsurou tacitly agrees, wrapping his arms around Tooru’s waist, to which Tooru laughs in response. “I’m not going anywhere, stupid. I love you too much.”

Tetsurou makes a happy noise into the crook of Tooru’s neck, noisily kissing the skin a couple of times, despite Tooru’s protests. “Tettsun, god.”

“You guys are so adorable together, the girl says, “And actually, not to sound creepy, but I noticed you guys out the window before, hugging just like that, and man, I wish my girlfriend would hold me like that sometimes.” She finishes, a dust of pink scattering over her cheeks.

It is then that an idea pops into Tetsurou’s head.

“Linked hearts.” He blurts out.

Tooru turns in his arms to look at him, deadpanned. “Hearts? Really?”

“No, no, listen,” Tetsurou continues, tapping at the spot on Tooru’s neck where he had been kissing at before. “For you, two hearts right here, ‘cause I always kiss you there. And for me,” He raises his hand and runs his finger down the side of his thumb, “Right here, along the side of my hand. ‘Cause you always kiss me there.”

“One red, and one blue.” Tooru adds, going starry-eyed, “Yeah, simple, but meaningful. I love it.”

Tooru turns in Tetsurou’s arms, throwing his arms around Tetsurou’s shoulders. “I love you,” He murmurs, leaning in for a kiss, which Tetsurou readily agrees to. They part after a moment, laughing bashfully when the receptionist coughs, bringing them back out of their own little world and back into the small shop. Everyone in the room is staring at them.

“I’ll have an open booth in the back in about thirty minutes. I had an appointment cancel before you two walked in, so one of the guys’ll be available. Just finishing up a session with another client.” She says, leading them to two empty seats in the waiting area, and the pair quickly follow, grinning at each other.

*****

“So which one is gonna hurt more, mine or his?”

The tattoo artist, a bald but good-looking guy covered head to toe in ink with way too many facial piercings (Tetsurou thinks, anyway) turns from setting up his equipment to give them a surprisingly warm smile that also reveals some interesting tattoo work in the inside of his lip.

“Depends on your pain tolerance. I never tell people what hurts and what doesn’t ‘cause, ya know, what’s hell for one person is cake for another, ya get me?”

Both Tetsurou and Tooru nod, each making their own noise of understanding. Tooru points at the artist’s neck. “You have one. How was it for you?”

“Personally, I didn’t bother me much, but I’m used to it, so…”

Tooru’s expression grows a bit anxious. “I don’t know, now I’m getting kinda nervous.”

“Ahh, don’t be. You’ll be fine, I promise. Your tattoos aren’t big so it’ll be quick once I sketch them out. Five minutes. Probably between the two of you.”

“That’s it?” Tetsurou quips, incredulous.

“You’re just gettin’ some hearts right? It’s not the fuckin’ Mona Lisa.”

“Alright, okay.” Tetsurou says defensively, holding his hands up.

Tooru laughs. “And they’re not filled in, just lines. Um, open hearts, I dunno. Does that make sense?”

“Yeah, yeah. You want ‘em thicker or thin?”

“I want mine bubbly,” Tooru chirps, “They have to be cute.”

“Oh my god, you’re the gayest thing alive,” Tetsurou utters, face-palming. “I want mine a little on the thinner side.”

“Will do.” The artist says, pulling out two separate pieces wax paper. He quickly sketches out two sets of hearts, both in blue and red, one sheet to Tooru’s specifications, and the other to Tetsurou’s. They both let out a low ‘ooh’ as they watch him draw.

“Whaddya think? Good?” The artist asks, and they both nod, smiling wide.

“Then let me just transfer these over, and then we’ll get started.”

As the artist does something with a scanner and a computer in the corner, Tooru and Tetsurou flash each other a look that says, _‘We’re really doing this, aren’t we?’_

A few minutes later, the artist is back in his seat, Tooru’s print in hand.

“Ready?”

Tooru nods and leans his head to the side to give access, flashing a slightly nervous but still excited look Tetsurou’s way. Tetsurou blows him a kiss and gives him a thumbs up.

The artist peels away a clear layer of the paper and presses the print onto Tooru’s skin, holding it down for a few seconds before slowly removing it. He holds up a mirror. “That about where you want it?” He asks.

Tooru angles the mirror, trying to get a better view. “Mm, a little further down. More in-between the neck and shoulder.”

“Okie doke.” The artist replies, and wipes the initial print off. He places the paper back right at the junction of Tooru’s neck and shoulder, and presses the paper down again.

“Yes, right there,” Tooru says with a smile when he gets a second look.

“Alright, cool. Let’s get started, then.” The artist says with a raspy laugh that sort of drowns out the low-buzzing of the tattoo gun as it turns on.

Tooru squirms and makes an odd high-pitched noise when the needle finally makes contact with his skin, but after a few seconds, one eye cracks open, and then the other, before he finally relaxes into it. “Hey, that’s not so bad. It actually feels kind of cool.”

Tetsurou walks over and cranes his head to peer over the artist’s shoulder at Tooru. “It doesn’t hurt?”

“Yeah, a little, but like, in a cool way? It’s not a bad pain.” Tooru concludes.

After a minute flat, there is one blue heart on Tooru’s skin, and Tetsurou whistles. “Damn.”

“You like it?” The artist asks over his shoulder up at Tetsurou, who nods.

“How does it look?” Tooru asks, lifting the small mirror in his hand to look again. He lets out a loud, giddy, “Oh, wow! I love it!” Upon seeing the small but thick and almost cartoonish blue heart sitting imprinted in his skin. “Tettsun, it’s so cute, I’m in love.”

Another minute and a half later and Tooru hops out of the chair with two freshly-inked hearts glowing with a halo of reddened skin, looking as happy as a kid in a candy store as he throws his arms around Tetsurou in a big hug. “This was such a good idea, babe. I love it so much! And I love _you_ ~~”

“Yeah, yeah, I love you too, Tooru.” Tetsurou says with a laugh as he takes his turn in the chair. He waits patiently while the artist covers Tooru’s tattoo with a small gauze and some tape before washing his hands and retaking his seat.

“Now, you can’t touch it for a good three to four hours,” He instructs, “I’d recommend leaving ‘em covered at least until tonight. And when you shower, don’t use anything that exfoliates. No fancy beady soap, no goddamn loofahs. And keep them moisturized. Unscented lotion only, okay?”

They both nod quickly, and Tooru takes the notes down on his phone.  

“Is it true that some people get addicted to the feeling of the needle? Like a kink or something?” Tetsurou drawls, kicking his feet idly, watching the artist load his gun with a new ink tip.

The man lets out a hearty laugh at that. “Yeah, I get all kinds in here. Had this one girl, gettin’ a tramp stamp ‘for her man’, she said, went from sayin’ it hurt like a bitch to moanin’ like a damn whore till I was done.”

Tooru snickers. “That’s gonna be Tettsun in about three seconds. He tries to hide it but he’s kinky, too.”

Tetsurou flushes hotly. “Tooru!”

“What? You know it’s true. Fifty Shades of Tettsun.”

“Tooru, hus-Oh, whoa, that feels like...not what I expected.” Tetsurou cuts himself off mid-comeback when the needle finds its way to the skin of his hand. He tenses for a second, eye twitching at the sensation, before eventually settling into it, much like Tooru did a few minutes ago. An amused smile curls his lips as he watches the pen move across his skin, forming a thin-lined red heart just beneath his thumb.

“That does feel kinda good, not gonna lie.” He admits with a sheepish shrug.  

“See? Told ya.” Tooru quips with a triumphant laugh, to which Tetsurou rolls his eyes. A thin blue heart quickly joins the red, linked in the lower bottom of the red heart, mirroring Tooru’s blue with the red linked in.

“The thing with hand and finger tattoos is that they tend to fade pretty quick,” the artist says as he shuts off the tattoo gun, “Especially if you work with your hands and stuff. You may have to touch it up every once in awhile.”

Tetsurou nods, admiring the small, thin hearts. The blue and red are vibrant and cheerful, just like him and Tooru. He can't fight down a fond smile.

“You purred a little, by the way.” The artist chortles as he discards the gun tip, and Tooru howls with laughter over Tetsurou’s frantic denials and apologies.

“No, I didn’t! Oh my GOD!”

“You did,” the artist eggs on, “It was this little rumble towards the end. You one of those “kink” people, huh? Don’t go gettin’ addicted to this, now.”

Tooru doubles over with laughter and Tetsurou blushes so hard he adds a new shade of red to the color spectrum.

*****

“You guys got matching _tattoos_?” Iwaizumi asks over the rim of his glass, voice deadpanned though amusement dances in his eyes.

“Yeah, we went on Wednesday! And FYI they came out really cute!” Tooru defends with a huff, “Look!”

At Tetsurou’s behest, they kept their gauzes on well into the night after they got home that first night, despite Tooru’s whining. And today, Saturday, Tooru decided it would be fun if they covered them back up while they decorated their apartment for their party.

And now Tooru’s _itching_ for the big reveal.

He rips off his gauze, quickly followed by Tetsurou’s (“OW?!” WHAT THE FUCK, TOORU? A LITTLE WARNING WOULD’VE BEEN NICE!”) and shows off his tattoo proudly. “It was Tettsun’s idea to get the linked hearts. He’s such a romantic at heart.”

Tetsurou grumbles at the ‘romantic’ part, though he is smiling a bit.

“Yeah, you’re so romantic, dude! You’re a sap!” Bokuto slurs drunkenly but happily as he throws himself over Tetsurou to look as well, his screwdriver nearly spilling out of his cup with the motion.

“Bo, did you pour half that bottle into your cup when we weren’t looking?”

“Hic-MAYBE.”

“Give me the cup, Bo.”

“NO! I HAVE TO DRINK MY-HIC-MY ORANGE! I HAVE A COLD!”

Tetsurou manages to pull off looking annoyed while also laughing his ass off masterfully. “THERE’S NO FUCKING ORANGE JUICE IN THAT CUP, YOU ABSOLUTE JACKASS! GIVE ME THE CUP!”

“NO!”

The wrestling match that ensues falls into the background of the small party as everyone crowds around Tooru to get a look at his tattoo, since Tetsurou was currently preoccupied with separating his best friend from his liquor.

Akaashi peers over from behind the couch, a small, thoughtful smile on his face. “I like it,” He says, tracing the still raised lines on Tooru’s neck idly, “Simple, but elegant.”

“Thanks, Akaa-chan.”

“Kuro likes for people to think he’s a ‘bad boy’ but he’s just a nerdy romantic at heart.” Kenma chimes in over the 8-bit music track of his video game. He pauses the game momentarily to regard the pair of them with a rare but genuine smile. “But I think it suits the two of you pretty well.”

Tooru’s eyes glisten. “Pudding-chan!” He hollers and throws himself over onto an unprepared and definitely unwilling Kenma, pulling the smaller boy into a tight embrace, his loud wailing drowning out Kenma’s protests and annoyed cat noises.

“Babe, loosen up, will you? Kenma isn’t about your PDA.” Tetsurou hollers from where he has Bokuto in a headlock on the floor, still trying to pry the half-spilt cup of orange juice and vodka out of Bokuto’s clutches.

“You’re fighting a losing battle, Kuroo.” Iwaizumi says, laughing as he settles down onto the floor next to them, “Just let him have it.”

“You’re not the one who’s gonna have to nurse him tomorrow when he’s hungover,” Tetsurou mutters, but relents anyway. Victorious, Bokuto thrusts the cup--now effectively empty-- into the air, and pours the last bit into his mouth while laughing.

“Can I see yours?” Iwaizumi asks, and Tetsurou sticks his hand out. “How do you like it?”

“It’s kinda itching me, right now. But overall, I love it.”

Iwaizumi smiles. “You guys are so cheesy.”

“D’aww, thanks Iwaizoom.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“You called us ‘cheesy’, I’ll call you whatever I waaant~~”Tetsurou sing-songs, laughing.

“IWAIZOOM! IWAIZOOOOM!” Bokuto hollers from the floor, laughing hysterically.

“Ugh,” Iwaizumi scoffs, though there is a small smile gracing his face, too. “You guys are good for each other, though. Happy one-year.”

Tetsurou smiles as he rises from the floor. “Thanks, dude.”

He spots Tooru walking into the kitchen and follows. When he walks in, Tooru is standing at the stove, pouring more tortilla chips into a bowl, singing along with the music blasting from the living room. Tooru beams at him when their eyes meet, and Tetsurou can’t resist.

He curls up to Tooru, embracing him from behind, as he always does, nosing over the small hearts on his skin.

“Is it still too soon for me to kiss it?” Tetsurou whispers into Tooru’s hair. He feels his boyfriend shrug.

“It's been days already,” Tooru replies quietly, “And I miss it.”

“Mm, I agree.” Tetsurou murmurs before pressing a lingering open-mouthed kiss to the spot. Tooru moans softly as his head falls back onto Tetsurou’s shoulder, eyes floating shut as his boyfriend kisses up his neck, mouthing tiny ‘I love you’s across the exposed skin.

Tooru turns in the embrace and pulls Tetsurou into a deep, smiling kiss.

“Happy one-year, baby.” He says when the kiss breaks, and they stay close for a while, content in each other’s arms and fingers tangled in hair. Their lips meet languidly between soft laughs and smiles and not so innocent promises of what’s to come as soon as the party’s over.

“These were a good idea, Tettsun,” Tooru says, kissing over Tetsurou’s own set of hearts before switching to bite and kiss at his fingertips.

Tetsurou swallows thickly.

He really can’t wait to see Tooru with nothing on _but_ those two little hearts.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and Kudos are welcome and appreciated if you enjoyed!


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